Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Do Lectures Conference seems a little like the Hobby series, but more serious and world-changing. I heard about this conference from the lovely swissmiss and the idea is that "people who Do things, can inspire the rest of us to go and Do things too."

(It doesn't hurt that this poster was printed on a press just like one in my shop:)

Saying yes is something I'm trying to do more: yes to opportunities, yes to challenges and risks, yes to using up time and living life. That's my New Years Resolution or Intention or Do: to fill the coming year with action instead of inaction by learning new things and making new friends and enjoying all of the good things already in my life.

So here's my question for this post: What is your goal or goals for 2011?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

It seems that there's nothing I can do to slow the oncoming winter and holiday season. So instead, I'm embracing it, within reason. I'm not exactly looking forward to trudging through wet snow, but I am enjoying sweaters and boots. Other ways I'm getting ready for winter:

Nesting: instead of spring cleaning, I think I'm in love with fall decluttering. As the air gets cooler I want to stay home, which makes me notice all of the little projects that need to get started (or more often, those projects that paused halfway through). Bonus: the faster I bustle around the house, the lower I can keep the heat.

The annual Two Loose TeethOrnament Swap: over at my other [online] home, we're on our fourth year of trading handmade ornaments with friends. I haven't decided yet what I should make. Have ideas that I can't possibly pass up? Want to join us? Drop me a line at sarah at twolooseteeth dot com.

Thinking about Christmas gifts:

As usual, I'm late to the party, but I keep flipping through Gifted Magazine. There are several good ideas in there, and I'm liking this trend of a traditional magazine set-up with the ease of reading online. Think Nonpareil, but with great gift ideas.

I'm having a sale over at the Anderson Ink Shop. Custom silhouettes and Spring City Barn prints are seriously on sale and ordering early ensures that I have plenty of time to make your custom item. I'll also be adding some new items soon. Stay tuned.

Lastly, my list of loved ones is long, my budget is small. I'm mulling over a few handmade ideas, but the question becomes: is the gift that you make cool enough? I try to remember that if I wouldn't see it in a store and want to buy it, it probably doesn't make the cut. How do you decide if a homemade gift makes the cut? Is the fact that you made it and you love the recipient enough? Do you only choose from crafts featured in a great magazine, website, or blog? Do you reproduce something that you saw in the store? Tell me your secrets.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

I stumbled upon HOBBY and I'm already addicted. I love listening to regular people talk about the hobbies they're most passionate about. And so I'm now waist-deep in their video archives, realizing that I want to be one of these are smart, funny people with unexpected insights or skills.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

My adorable, crazy awesome friend Rachael emailed me one day, asking for help on her one year anniversary gift for new husband Brandon. When the traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper, how could I resist? After some brainstorming and then a whole lot of trust on Rachael's part, I started making silhouettes of Rachael and Brandon.

Silhouettes are something I've played with in the past, making one for my niece's 2nd birthday and a portrait of a chicken named Andre, the world's most glorious chicken and the only livestock I've ever purchased.

And I think that the Babiracki silhouettes turned out pretty great, aside from my haphazard hanging on uneven wall hooks for a photo before I packed them up and shipped them off.

So great that I've decided to make silhouettes more often. If you go to my shop and click the right buttons, I will make a custom, paper cut silhouette of you or a loved one. You place an order online, then send me an email with a photo. Wielding a blade like Sweeney Todd, I slice up a piece of paper until it looks like you (or your kid, or your dog, or your great-grandfather).

It's like magic! Except it doesn't smell like mothballs, and it's not disappearing any time soon.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

All I'm saying is that fortune cookies come true. I have one more week with the company that laid me off and then? Then I start smiling bigger every day.

Because I have a job. But not just any job. A job that is frighteningly close to my dream job. At a company filled with some of the coolest people I've met. I'll be sharing more details as I settle in.

I hope it's as great as I imagine. I hope I can make a difference in their company. And, like a nervous kid on the first day of school, I hope they like me.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Last Monday afternoon I was told by my employer that they would be ending my contract in a few weeks due to budget restraints. Obviously I'm sad and a little unsure about the future, but I am confident that this is an opportunity for me to find something new that I love. And I don't only think that because my fortune cookie told me so.

I want to let you know why my posting may be a little sparse over the next few weeks. I'll be polishing and printing my resume during the time that I'd normally be looking for things to tell you about here. Wish me luck. Thanks for reading (Hi, Mom!) and I'll check in again soon.

I totally get why people say that Twitter is ridiculous. It's something that is not necessary to our survival and seems even more self-indulgent and vain than blogging. And with each entry only 140 characters or less, how could someone possibly pack meaningful information into a Twitter update?

And yet. I have found that people can be hilarious, companies have turned around PR nightmares, and (my favorite) I've discovered treasure troves of inspiration. And today that inspiration is a new online shop based in Sydney, Australia.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

This curtain made of Kodachrome slides looks so cool, offers plenty of privacy, and filters the light beautifully. I think this would make one of my windows look amazing, but could also potentially make a room a bit dark and cave-like.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Even though Lisa and I were rushing to get to the movie on time (I leave my house late all the time. I'm trying to be better. Sorry, all of my friends, for my constant tardiness.) and had to sit separate from our friends and from each other (though congrats to the Salt Lake Film Center for having a packed house!), I'm so glad we went.

First of all, because of this guy's collection of radios:

But more importantly because I was inspired. Inspired that simplicity can be powerful, that advertising can change our world, that people like me (but smarter, more talented, more creative) at desks like mine (but bigger, or messier, or prettier, or cleaner, as the case may be) can make something beautiful or funny or meaningful or creative. And people will listen. And reminded that the most impactful work can come from people with passion and integrity.

I don't think this movie was perfect, but I think that its message was powerful: that advertising is more than pushing a product. It's easy to forget that fact when 95% of the advertising I see doesn't seem to try that hard. But there are people out there, people with giant bird nests in their offices or private concerts or walls covered in thumbtacks

who have the job every day to find something special about a product and about life and make that matter to the rest of us.

Or at least they can make something pretty that doesn't make us all (rightfully) fly into a blind rage.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Friday, February 12, 2010

Sadly, I found out about Nick Dewar when I heard that he had passed away. My condolences to his family and friends. On the bright side, the internet has made it possible for me to hear about someone and get to know their work even after they're gone. I like that.

Nick Dewar's illustrations are whimsical and smart. If you wonder how creative people do it, you might enjoy reading about his process here. I did.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Watching:Steve Jobs: How to Live Before You Die and Tom Shannon: The Painter and the Pendulum. Both inspiring.And of course, the Super Bowl. Lisa made some delicious beef sandwiches, the commercials were disappointing, then we watched Whip It and played a little Just Dance on the Wii.

Organizing:I've made and collected a lot of button pins. Now I know where they are. And I have plans for them.

Plotting:I have hundreds of matchbooks. There are a few ideas rolling around in my head of what to do with them, but I'm curious: what would you do with a blank matchbook?